Eragon (book)
Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance cycle, by Christopher Paolini. It was first self-published by the Paolini family in 2002, but was re-released by Knopf in 2003 and went on to become a ''New York Times'' bestseller. Cover flap summary One Boy… One Dragon… A World of Adventure. When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands. . . . Plot summary Eragon begins with a 15 year old boy, Eragon, finding a mysterious blue stone in The Spine, an untamed range of mountains near the small village he calls home, Carvahall. The book takes place in a land called Alagaësia, over which rules the evil, twisted king, Galbatorix. Galbatorix was once one of the legendary Dragon Riders--the long-gone peacekeepers of Alagaësia. After his dragon died, Galbatorix fell into madness and betrayed and destroyed the Riders and their dragons, keeping one dragon. After being unable to sell or trade his find, Eragon soon witnesses a baby dragon, hatch from inside the "stone". Dragons are a species thought to be extinct, with the exception of Galbatorix's second dragon. He raises the dragon in secret until two hooded figures, the evil Ra'zac, enter the town looking for his mysterious blue stone. Eragon and Saphira, as he names his dragon, manage to escape danger by hiding in the forest, but Eragon's Uncle Garrow is not as fortunate. The Ra'zac kill his uncle and destroy the house. Eragon, remembering tales of the past, takes it upon himself to become one of the dragon riders, the ancient warriors who were slaughtered by the crazed Galbatorix in his rise to power. Accompanied by Brom, a mysterious old story teller from his village who knows much about the Dragon Riders, swordfighting, and magic. Eragon learns the ways of the Dragon Riders as they hunt down the elusive Ra'zac. Throughout the journey, he and Saphira developed closer relationships and bondage with each other. Much researching in the town of Teirm leads Brom to the conclusion that the Ra'zac reside in Helgrind, a mysterious mountain with four peaks at the city of Dras-Leona. However, revenge is not what Eragon finds in Dras-Leona. He, Saphira, and Brom are instead lured into the Ra'zac's ambush. They are rescued by a mysterious stranger, Murtagh. Unfortunately, Brom is gravely injured, and he soon dies--but not before revealing his past to Eragon. He was once a Dragon Rider himself, but his dragon was destroyed in Galbatorix's reign of terror, and he became an agent of the Varden, the rebel state, and rescued one of the three unhatched dragon eggs from Galbatorix — Saphira's egg. The new company of three (Eragon, Murtagh and Saphira) travel in search of the hidden Varden. On the way Eragon has many dreams about an elf, all of which feature her suffering great pain. Ultimately, Eragon is captured and imprisoned in the same prison as where the elf is being held captive. Murtagh and Saphira stage a daring rescue and Eragon escapes with the elf. But this does not happen without incident. Eragon and Murtagh have a face-off with a Shade, one of the most powerful creatures in the land. The fact that a Shade is walking freely in the land leads Eragon to believe that some monstrous plan is afoot and that Galbatorix, the king of Alagaësia, himself a traitor of the dragon riders, has allied himself with the foulest creatures of the land. The new dragon rider faces many perils on his way to the Varden, specifically the army of Urgals at their heels. Once in side the Varden's fortress, hidden deep within the Beor Mountains, Eragon learns of the pact between the dwarves, the elves and the Varden and how it was that Saphira's egg was magically teleported to the Spine. The group is at last able to rest, but the invasion by the army of Urgals is imminent. An intercepted message from Galbatorix confirms their fears that the king is involved. In a battle that follows, a seemingly endless army of Urgals seem poised to take the fortress, before Eragon destroys the Shade, Durza, that he had recently encountered, but at a price: a terrible wound on his back that leaves him disfigured. The Varden's forces rout the Urgals. As the story ends at the close of the battle, we learn that Eragon will soon be sent under the tutelage of the elves in the sequel, Eldest. Different editions *Paperback Paolini Internatiol LLC, June 2002 *Hardcover Random House, August 26 2003 *Audio Casette Random House, August 26 2003 *Hardcover Gardeners Books, December 31 2003 *Audio CD Random House, Listening Library, February 24 2005 *Hardcover Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media, April 2005 *Paperback Knopf Book, April 26 2005 *Download: Microsoft Reader Random House, Date Unknown *Download: Abode Reader Random House, Date Unknown Publishers in other countries *Australia: Alfred A. Knopf *Canada: Alfred A. Knopf *China: Unknown *Czech Republic: Fragment Publishing House *Denmark: Sesam *Finland: Tammi *France: Bayard Jeunesse *Germany: Bertelsmann *Holland: Publisher M *Indonesia: Gramedia Pustaka Utama *Italy: Fabbri Editors & Mondolibri *Japan: Random House Japan *Korea: Unknown *Latin America: Roca Editorial *New Zealand: Corgi/Random House *Portugal: Gailivro *Romana: Rao International Publishing Company *Spain: Roca Editorial *Sweden: Bonnier Carlsen *United Kingdom: Doubleday *United States: Paolini Intl, LLC (old) & Alfred A. Knopf (current) Characters By order of appearance (beginning after the prelude): * Eragon: main character * Sloan: butcher of Carvahall * Horst: smith of Carvahall * Katrina: daughter of Sloan; girlfriend of Roran * Roran: Eragon's cousin, although they're like brothers * Garrow: farmer of Carvahall, Eragon's uncle, raised him from birth * Saphira: Eragon's dragon and best friend, raised by Eragon * Brom: storyteller of Carvahall, Eragon's mentor * Jeod: merchant of Teirm, Brom's good friend * Angela: powerful witch who supports Varden, tells Eragon his future * Solembum: werecat who lives with Angela, gives Eragon a prophecy and much advice * Murtagh: son of Morzan, who was a Forsworn (betrayer of the Dragon Riders); Becomes good friends with Eragon and travels with him to the Varden's hideout; May be Eragon's brother * Arya: guardian elf of the dragon's egg which Saphira hatched from; is saved by Eragon from the clutches of the King and Durza * Durza: once called Carsaib and disciple of a great sorcerer, he becomes a powerful Shade that ravages the land and controls the Urgal before being put to rest by Eragon * Orik: dwarf; nephew of Dwarf King; befriends Eragon * The Bald Twins: twin magicians with strong magical abilities; powerful men within the Varden; cruel and strange with Eragon * Ajihad: ruler of the Varden, a kind and just man * Hrothgar: king of the Dwarfs, befriends Eragon List of chapters Inside the book There are a few parts of the inside book that may be publicized, including the two pieces of art, the dedication and an excerpt. Map of Alagaësia Dedication This book is dedicated to my mom, for showing me the magic in the world; to my dad, for revealing the man behind the curtain. And also to my sister, Angela, for helping me when I'm "blue." Excerpt from the publisher This is a copy of the excerpt. Click show to read its contents. The original excerpt may be found here. Prologue: Shade of Fear Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world. A tall Shade lifted his head and sniffed the air. He looked human except for his crimson hair and maroon eyes. He blinked in surprise. The message had been correct; they were here. Or was it a trap? He weighed the odds, then said icily, "Spread out; hide behind trees and bushes. Stop whoever is coming . . . or die." Around him shuffled twelve Urgals with short swords and round iron shields painted with black symbols. They resembled men with bowed legs and thick, brutish arms made for crushing. A pair of twisted horns grew above their small ears. The monsters hurried into the brush, grunting as they hid. Soon the rustling quieted and the forest was silent again. The Shade peered around a thick tree and looked up the trail. It was too dark for any human to see, but for him the faint moonlight was like sunshine streaming between the trees; every detail was clear and sharp to his searching gaze. He remained unnaturally quiet, a long pale sword in his hand. A wire-thin scratch curved down the blade. The weapon was thin enough to slip between a pair of ribs, yet stout enough to hack through the hardest armor. The Urgals could not see as well as the Shade; they groped like blind beggars, fumbling with their weapons. An owl screeched, cutting through the silence. No one relaxed until the bird flew past. Then the monsters shivered in the cold night; one snapped a twig with his heavy boot. The Shade hissed in anger, and the Urgals shrank back, motionless. He suppressed his distaste—they smelled like fetid meat—and turned away. They were tools, nothing more. The Shade forced back his impatience as the minutes became hours. The scent must have wafted far ahead of its owners. He did not let the Urgals get up or warm themselves. He denied himself those luxuries, too, and stayed behind the tree, watching the trail. Another gust of wind rushed through the forest. The smell was stronger this time. Excited, he lifted a thin lip in a snarl. "Get ready," he whispered, his whole body vibrating. The tip of his sword moved in small circles. It had taken many plots and much pain to bring himself to this moment. It would not do to lose control now. Eyes brightened under the Urgals’ thick brows, and they gripped their weapons tighter. Ahead of them, the Shade heard a clink as something hard struck a loose stone. Faint smudges emerged from the darkness and came down the trail. Three white horses with riders cantered toward the ambush, their heads held high and proud, their coats rippling in the moonlight like liquid silver. On the first horse was an elf with pointed ears and elegantly slanted eyebrows. His build was slim but strong, like a rapier. A powerful bow was slung on his back. A sword pressed against his side opposite a quiver of arrows fletched with swan feathers. The last rider had the same fair face and angled features as the other. He carried a long spear in his right hand and a white dagger at his belt. A helm of extraordinary craftsmanship, wrought with amber and gold, rested on his head. Between these two rode a raven-haired elven lady, who surveyed her surroundings with poise. Framed by long black locks, her deep eyes shone with a driving force. Her clothes were unadorned, yet her beauty was undiminished. At her side was a sword, and on her back a long bow with a quiver. She carried in her lap a pouch that she frequently looked at, as if to reassure herself that it was still there. One of the elves spoke quietly, but the Shade could not hear what was said. The lady answered with obvious authority, and her guards switched places. The one wearing the helm took the lead, shifting his spear to a readier grip. They passed the Shade’s hiding place and the first few Urgals without suspicion. The Shade was already savoring his victory when the wind changed direction and swept toward the elves, heavy with the Urgals’ stench. The horses snorted with alarm and tossed their heads. The riders stiffened, eyes flashing from side to side, then wheeled their mounts around and galloped away. The lady’s horse surged forward, leaving her guards far behind. Forsaking their hiding, the Urgals stood and released a stream of black arrows. The Shade jumped out from behind the tree, raised his right hand, and shouted, "Garjzla!" A red bolt flashed from his palm toward the elven lady, illuminating the trees with a bloody light. It struck her steed, and the horse toppled with a high-pitched squeal, plowing into the ground chest-first. She leapt off the animal with inhuman speed, landed lightly, then glanced back for her guards. The Urgals’ deadly arrows quickly brought down the two elves. They fell from the noble horses, blood pooling in the dirt. As the Urgals rushed to the slain elves, the Shade screamed, "After her! She is the one I want!" The monsters grunted and rushed down the trail. A cry tore from the elf’s lips as she saw her dead companions. She took a step toward them, then cursed her enemies and bounded into the forest. While the Urgals crashed through the trees, the Shade climbed a piece of granite that jutted above them. From his perch he could see all of the surrounding forest. He raised his hand and uttered, "Böetq istalri!" and a quarter-mile section of the forest exploded into flames. Grimly he burned one section after another until there was a ring of fire, a half-league across, around the ambush site. The flames looked like a molten crown resting on the forest. Satisfied, he watched the ring carefully, in case it should falter. The band of fire thickened, contracting the area the Urgals had to search. Suddenly, the Shade heard shouts and a coarse scream. Through the trees he saw three of his charges fall in a pile, mortally wounded. He caught a glimpse of the elf running from the remaining Urgals. She fled toward the craggy piece of granite at a tremendous speed. The Shade examined the ground twenty feet below, then jumped and landed nimbly in front of her. She skidded around and sped back to the trail. Black Urgal blood dripped from her sword, staining the pouch in her hand. The horned monsters came out of the forest and hemmed her in, blocking the only escape routes. Her head whipped around as she tried to find a way out. Seeing none, she drew herself up with regal disdain. The Shade approached her with a raised hand, allowing himself to enjoy her helplessness. "Get her." As the Urgals surged forward, the elf pulled open the pouch, reached into it, and then let it drop to the ground. In her hands was a large sapphire stone that reflected the angry light of the fires. She raised it over her head, lips forming frantic words. Desperate, the Shade barked, "Garjzla!" A ball of red flame sprang from his hand and flew toward the elf, fast as an arrow. But he was too late. A flash of emerald light briefly illuminated the forest, and the stone vanished. Then the red fire smote her and she collapsed. The Shade howled in rage and stalked forward, flinging his sword at a tree. It passed halfway through the trunk, where it stuck, quivering. He shot nine bolts of energy from his palm—which killed the Urgals instantly—then ripped his sword free and strode to the elf. Prophecies of revenge, spoken in a wretched language only he knew, rolled from his tongue. He clenched his thin hands and glared at the sky. The cold stars stared back, unwinking, otherworldly watchers. Disgust curled his lip before he turned back to the unconscious elf. Her beauty, which would have entranced any mortal man, held no charm for him. He confirmed that the stone was gone, then retrieved his horse from its hiding place among the trees. After tying the elf onto the saddle, he mounted the charger and made his way out of the woods. He quenched the fires in his path but left the rest to burn. Movie A movie based on the novel was released on December 15, 2006 by 20th Century Fox. See also *''Eldest'' *Book 3 *Book 4 External links *Alagaesia.com, the official book site Category:Inheritance books Category:Inheritance cycle es:Eragon (libro) nl:Eragon (boek)